Method of and means for producing simulated-brick siding boards



4 Sheets-sheaf 1 Ira/e22 for Jo/zrz :F. ,l'l/er 2/ 0 I fling u. 3 P ml an no a July 7, 1953 J. E. MILLER METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING SIMULATED-BRICK SIDING BOARDS Filed Oct. 26. 1950 y 7, 1953 J E MILLER 2, 644,768

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. mom OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING SIMULATED-BRICK smmc BOARDS Filed Oct. 26, 1950 4 Shee'tS-Sheet 3 mu 45 Y MARK... mm but Inventor- July 7, 1953 Filed Oct. 26, 1950 J. E. MILLER 2,644,768 METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING SIMULATED-BRICK SIDING BOARDS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 v A? I a x,"

Int/anion Patented July 7, 1953 METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR PRODUCING. SIMULATED-BRICK SIDING BOARDS John E. Miller, Maywood, Ill., assignor to Certainteed Products Corporation, Ardmore, Pa., a corporation of Maryland Application October 26, 1950, Serial No. 192,318

12 Claims.

This invention relates to brick siding boards and particularly to the method of producing such boards and the means by which, such boards are produced. In the production of brick siding boards, slate particlesof a color simulating brick are pressed into fixed position in an asphalt coated outer face of the board, and simu lated mortar lines are then indented into this face of the board in a design corresponding to the ,mortar lines of a conventional brick wall, while most of such brick siding boards have been produced in such a way that the mortar lines have the black color of the coating asphalt, efforts have been made to produce such boards with the mortar lines appearing in white. In such efiorts white mineral particles such as limestone have been spread loosely over the entire top face of the board, and heavy pressure has then been applied at selected points or lines on the loose white particles or granules so as to correspond with the desired pattern of mortar lines for forcing the first applied granules more deeply into the layer of asphalt and at the-same timeforcing the second applied granules at the points where pressure is being applied into holding engagement with the layer of asphalt, thus effectively covering the first applied slate granules at such points of pressure. The surplus white particles or granules where no pressure has been applied have then been removed .so .as

to leave the board covered with slate of the original color but modified by the overlaid but indented design of white orotherwise contrasting color. In the manufacture of siding boards by the 01d method, ithas been necessary to handle a great mass of mortar line particles of granules over and above the amount of the granules applied initially to the board. These mortar line granules have been removed and .fed back tothe supply -of such granules so as not to be wasted, but such granules are often repeatedly fedinto .position on one board after another and deteriorate substantially by being broken intov excessively small size. Moreover, the neces-.

sity for handling this large amount of surplus granules at alltimes increases very substantially the work of producing the boards and very ubstantially slow down the .operaton of manufac uring the boards.

It is.one of the principalobjects of my invention to provide an improved method of producing siding boards of this type but in which the particles or granules of contrasting color. are applied only at the pointsor lines where the presure is to be applied for producing the desired mortar line pattern, with just suiiicient surplus to insure definitely that the required amount of granules shall be present for producing the design in complete form.

It is another object of my invention to provide improved mechanism for carrying out my method, comprising improved means for distributing the mortar line granules to the desired pointsor lines on the faces of the boards without the necessity for applying layers of such granules over the entire faces of the boards, and to provide also improved means adapted to co operate in fully coordinated manner for producing the required successive steps for carrying out my improved process. To this end, it is one of the objectsof my invention to employ an improved sequence of operative steps for accomplishing my objects, by which I am enabled to produce by automatic action a high grade product easily and rapidly.

It is another object of my invention to improve methods and apparatus in sundry details hereinafter pointed out.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principles thereof and what I now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying these principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention.

In the drawings: I

Figs. ,1 and 1A constitute together a side view of my improved apparatus shown diagrammatically for illustrating the relative positions of several parts in their cooperative relationship;

Fig. 2 is a face view of one of my improved siding boards;

Fig. .3 is an edge view of the board shown in Fig. 2;

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are edge views of boards showing successive steps in the formation of one preferred form of my improved board;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are edge views of boards showing successive steps in the formation of, a slightly modified form of my improved board;

Fig. ,11 is an enlarged detailed view, showing the construction of my improved hopper means and the associated parts for applying slate granules in selected positions on the board inthe a portion of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1A.

Fig. 13 is an enlarged detailed view, showing the slate applying means as illustrated in Fig. 11, together with the adjacent cooperating means, and illustrating more in detail the means by which the desired operation is effected; and

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic view providing additional illustration of certain of the cam mechanism as shown in Fig. 13.

Referring now to the several figures of the drawings in which corresponding parts are indicated by the same reference characters, and referring particularly to Figs. 1 and 1A, indicates a feeder mechanism of any approved type by which a plurality of compressible insulation boards such as the board 2|, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, are fed one at a time in series to a saturator 22, also of any approved type by which the boards are impregnated with asphalt. From the saturator 22 the parts are carried automatically to and through a drying tower 23, which in and of itself forms no part of my invention. From the tower 23, the parts are carried toward the right in Fig. l to an arrangement of operating devices comprising a receptacle 24 and associated parts for applying a layer of asphalt to the top face of the impregnated board, a series of receptacles or hoppers 25 for applying a layer of slate particles of selected colors on top of the layer of asphalt, and a receptacle or hopper 26 to which the surplus slate granules from the several boards are carried by the action of a vacuum line 2? after the layer of granules has been pressed into position in the asphalt by pressure rollers 28, and from which slate granules comprising a mixture of the different colors applied from the receptacles 25 are applied through a conduit 29 at the points not already covered by granules.

As the siding boards 2| are carried farther toward the right in Fig. 1A, they are advanced in predetermined relation to the rotation of a series of forming and marking rolls which are so formed and driven that each roll operates with a rolling action on and with respect to each board as it passes beneath such rolls. The panels or boards 2| are subjected first to a Wire-marking device 30 of any approved type and then permissibly to a mortar line embossing device 3|. Whether or not the device 3| has been employed for indenting a mortar line design on the several boards, additional mortar line particles or granules or other comminuted stone particles are delivered to the boards from receptacles 32 and 33 at the selected points correspondin to the mortar line pattern. After the mortar line particles are applied from the receptacles 32 and 33, pressure is applied on such particles by an indenting device 34, after which the surplus Darticles are removed by a vacuum line 35, after which, in turn, pressure may be applied a second time on the design of mortar lines by a pressure roller device 36. From these devices as above designated, the boards are carried to and through a cooling tower 31, from which the boards are delivered in finished condition.

A considerable number of operating devices above referred to are of old and familiar form well known by the art. Others of said devices are of special form as hereinafter described. The wire marking device 3|! is of any well known type adapted to apply wire-markings at the selected points or areas on the board 2|. In the arrangement illustrated in Fig. 2, such wire markings are applied at flve different points for producing three simulated wire marked bricks 38 and two simulated wire marked half bricks 39.

In Fig. 13 the top pressure roll 4|] of the embossing or indenting device 3| is shown provided with circumferentially positioned ribs 4| and longitudinally extending ribs 42 which are adapted by heavy pressure relationship with the board 2| to produce in the top face of the board an outline of grooves Ma and 42a. corresponding with the mortar lines between bricks in an ordinarily conventional brick wall.

For a description of the mechanism comprising the receptacles 32 and 33 for applying white stone particles to the successive boards shapin underneath the roll 4|), reference is made particularly to Figs. 11 and 13. This mechanism comprises a hopper 43 to which the stone is delivered from the receptacles 32 and 33 through pipes 44 and 45 from any suitable source.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 13, this hopper 43 has a plurality of openings at its lower end closed by valves 46 at the points Where stone is to be delivered to the grooves Ma and closed by valves 41 and 48 at the points where stone is to be delivered to the grooves 42a. The valves 46, 41 and 48 are operated by arms 49 engaging plungers 49a connected with the valves, such arms 49 being carried by shafts 50, 5| and 52, respectively, rotatably mounted in bearing blocks 53 mounted on the structure of the hopp 43. Each of said valves is normally held in lowered closed position by a coil spring 54 mounted on the plunger 49a and bearing at their upper ends against a bar 55 carried by the structure of said hopper 43.

Each of said shafts 50, 5| and 52 is p v d d with an arm 56 fixedly mounted thereon and connected by a link 51 with a roller 58 in position to engage one or more of the cams on the extended end portion of the drum 40. Each of the rollers 58 is supported movably in position by link 59, as is clearly shown in Fig. 13.

The roller 58 for operating the shaft 50 stands in position to engage a circumferentially extending cam 60 so as to hold all of the valves 46 open throughout a complete revolution of the drum 4!], except for a limited portion of such revolution where said cam 68 is recessed or discontinued as shown in Fig. 14. This recessed portion is representative of the space between successive boards as they are fed through the machine by the conventional feed or conveyor means. The arrangement is such that the stone is delivered from the hopper 43 throughout the full lengths of the longitudinal grooves 4l'a in each of the boards 2|.

The roller 58 for operating the shaft 5| stands in position to engage cam lugs 6| at spaced intervals about the drum 48, so as to effect a momentary or relatively short opening of all of the valves 41 in unison. The roller 58 for operating the shaft 52 stands in position to engage cam lugs 82 at spaced intervals about the drum 40 so as to effect a momentary opening of the several valves 48 in unison. As is clearly shown in Figs. 13 and 14, the cam lugs 8| and 62 are in staggered position with respect to each other so that the valves 41 and 4B are opened alternately for preserving the desired pattern of the mortar ines.

In the preparation of siding boards in accordance with the method to which Figs. 4 to 7 relate, the boards are subjected to the action of the wire marking device 30 (see Fig. 12), and then to the' action of. the.-:indenting1or f embossing; device; :31

comprising the roll. by which .the: grooves: 41 a and 42a areuprovi'ded .in:th facesof thexboards, as illustrated in Fig. 4;, in'whichtwo ofrthe grooves 42a are shown; Supplies 63 of. white :stone, .or of any other color'as desired. arethen deposited in such grooves 41a and 42a ..=by:the.means. icnmprising-the hopper "43 :and. its cooperating parts, as shown inFig. 5. 'Thestonefiliszthenpressed downwardly inv the egrooves z by' :the sactionlof the pressure-device '34 intotheicondition as'illustrated in Fig. 6', after which th'e surplus 'ston'eis removed from the bo'ardsby the "action ofth'e vacuum line 35, leaving the boards in :thec'onditiona shown in Fig. '7. For thefpreparation of boards byi-this method, the "pressure device '36 is preferably thrown out of operation.

By this method, "boards are products asshown in Fig. 2, having their faces sub-divided by the grooves '41 (land 42a into sections simulating the arrangement of bricks'in a wall with the mortar linesrepresented by the white stone pressed Iinto holding engagement with the "asphalt in such grooves.

In the preparation of siding boards iii-accordance with the method to which Figs. 8 to 10 relate, the boards are first subjected to the action of the wire marking device-3'0 after'whichthesupplies 64 of stone are applied by the hopper 43 and the associated parts to the faces of the boards, as 'shownin'Fig. -8, in accordance with the mortar line design, such application of the stone to the face of the board being-efiected without the intermediate step 'of' providing grooves 'in the faces of the boardsythe embossing device 3| being thrown out of operation. "The boards are then subjected to the action of the indenting or embossing device 34 which serves to press the stone at the desiredpressu-repoints 'to 'formthe mortar line grooves with the white stone in'holding engagement withthe asphalt atfithe'bottoms of the grooves so asto form the desired design. The surplus stone is then removed by the vacuum line 3 5, .after' which: the pressure device 36 applies pressure for a second time on the stone'at the same points as those to which pressure was first applied, leaving the boardsin the condition as shown in Fig. 10.

In Fig. 13, the top pressure-roller: of the pres- I sure device 34 is shown, SuCh'TOll-bBiIlg very-similar to the roll 40, being provided withcircumferentially extending ribs '66 and longitudinally extending ribs 61 arranged in the same manner as is above described in -connection H 'and-42'ofsaid drum40'.

By 'the'use of my hnprovedmethodand the improved means for carrying out such method, I have produced a high grade siding board by which a wall can be built having a very close resemblance to a conventional brick wall. The improved board has the required strength and durability for enabling it to meet all of the usual requirements for structures of this kind. Moreover, it can be produced at comparatively low cost, and it is highly efficient from the standpoint of effective insulation against the passage of heat therethrough and from the standpoint of protection against severe weather conditions.

While I prefer to employ the form of apparatus as illustrated for carrying out my improved method, my invention is not to be limited to such apparatus and method except so far as the same may be specifically claimed, it being understood that changes might well be made in the method withtheiribs and apparatus without departing irromthe spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. The method :of: making simulated-bridesming boards which comprises impregnating an insulation board with thermo-plastic material, applying a coating of thermo-plastic material on one 'face of said impregnated board, pressin a layer of comminuted stone particles into said coating, then. applyinga supply of comminuted stone of a contrasting color on the coated face of said'boardat'points corresponding to the mor tar line design of a brick wall and restricted to a width just slightly greater than the width of the lines of .such design, pressing said contrast ing :color stone into holding engagement with said thermo-plastic material at the points'corresponding to said design, and then removing the surplus loose stone from the face of the board.

'2. The method of making simulated-brick s'id ing boardsas specified in claim 1, in which said comminuted stone of contrasting color making up said design is pressed much more strongly'than the'layer'of stone first applied.

3. The method of making brick siding boards as specified in claim 1, in which said comminuted stone of contrasting color'making up said design is pressed very strongly into position to a substantially lower level'than that of the outside face ofthe stone first applied to the board.

4. The method of making brick siding boards as specified in claim 1, in which there is 'a second application of pressure on said comminuted stone of contrasting color afterthe'removal of thesurplus stone from the board.

5. The method of making brick 'siding'boards as specified in claim 1, in which said stone of contrasting color is applied on the flat even coated face of said board.

'6. The method of making brick siding boards which comprises impregnating an insulation board with thermo-plastic material, applying-a coating of thermo-plastic material on one face of said impregnated board, pressing a -layer of comminuted stone particles into said coating,

then applying'pressure on the'face of said board,

at selected points for producing grooves corresponding tothe mortar line designed of a brick wall, then applying a supply of comminuted stone of a contrasting color forsubstantially'filling said grooves and restricted to a width slightly greater than the width of said grooves, then pressing said contrasting color stone into holding engagement with the therm'o-plastic material in said grooves and *then'removing the loose-surplus stone from the face of said board.

'7."The method of makingbricksiding-boards as specified in claim 6, in which the stone for said grooves is pressed to a lower level than that of the stone first applied to the board so as to preserve the grooves to a reduced depth in the finished board.

8. The method of making brick siding boards which comprises the step of impregnating an insulation board with thermo-plastic material, applying a coating of thermo-plastic material to one face of said impregnated board, distributing lines of comminuted stone particles loosely on the face of a board at points corresponding to the mortar line design of a brick Wall and restricting the lines of loose stone particles to a width slightly greater than the width of the mortar lines while at the same time leaving the remaining portions of the face of a board free of such loose stone particles, and then pressing said loose stone particles into said board into holding engagement with the thermo-plastic material, such pressure serving to bring the face of the design'to a lower level than that of the adjacent portions of the board.

9. Apparatus for making brick siding boards, comprising in combination, means for moving an asphalt treated board forwardly in horizontal osition, a hopper adapted to hold a supply of comminuted stone particles having outlets underneath which said board is adapted to move, valves movable into and out of position for closing the outlets of the said hopper, cam actuated means for opening said valves in timed relation to the forward movement of the board and thereby causing comminuted stone to be deposited upon the board in position for forming a design on the board corresponding to the mortar lines in a brick wall and limited in width of the lines of stone particles to a width slightly greater than the width of the lines of the desired design, embossing means corresponding to said design for pressing stone particles into bonded relation with respect to the treated board, and means for removing the excess unbonded stone particles.

10. Apparatus for making brick siding boards, comprising in combination means for moving a board forwardly in horizontal position, means for applying a layer of thermoplastic material to the face of said board the entire width thereof as it moves forwardly, means for applying a layer of comminuted stone particles to the face of said thermo-plastic material for the entire width of the board and for pressing said particles into said thermo-plastic material, means for pressing grooves into the face of said board corresponding to the mortar line design of a brick wall, a hopper adapted to hold a supply of comminuted stone particles of a contrasting color, said hopper having outlets underneath which the grooved board is adapted to move, cam actuated valve means operated in timed relation to the forward movement of such board for controlling flow of comminuted stone particles from the outlets of said hopper into said grooves and onto only narrow portions of the board at opposite sides of the grooves as the board moves forwardly, and means for pressing said contrasting color particles into holding engagement with only the thermo-plastic material in said grooves.

11. Apparatus for making brick siding boards as specified in claim 10, in which the means for feeding the comminuted stone particles from said hopper into said grooves comprises a plurality of valves some of which are adapted to applycomg paratively narrow lines of stone in the longitudinally extending grooves by being held open for substantial periods during the forward movement of the board and others of which valves are adapted to apply comparatively narrow lines of stone in the transversely extending grooves by being held open momentarily at timed intervals.

12. Apparatus for making brick siding boards, comprising in combination means for moving a board forwardly in horizontal position, means for applying a layer of thermo-plastic material to the face of said board as it moves forwardly, means for applying a layer of comminuted stone particles to the face of said thermo-plastic material and for pressing said particles into said thermoplastic material, an embossing roll operating in timed relation to the board moving means and embodying embossing ribs for pressing continuous longitudinal grooves and discontinuous transverse grooves in the board in a simulated mortar line design of a brick wall, means for pressing grooves into the face of said board corresponding to the mortar line design of a brick wall, a hopper adapted to hold a supply of comminuted stone particles of a contrasting color underneath which said board is adapted to move, a plurality of conduits extended from said hopper including one conduit allocated to each such longitudinal groove and one conduit allocated to each transverse space between such longitudinal grooves and to each transverse space between such a longitudinal groove and an vedge of such board, valves in the respective conduits, a common actuator for the valves in all the conduits allocated to said longitudinal grooves, a second actuator for the valves in the conduits allocated to alternate ones of said transverse spaces, a third actuator for the valves in the conduits allocated to the other ones of said transverse spaces, and cam means driven in timed relation to said embossing roll and operating on said valves for feeding said contrasting color particles onto such sheet in narrow and restricted lines corresponding to said simulated mortar line design.

JOHN E. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent Thornton June 19, 1945 

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING SIMULATED-BRICK SIDING BOARDS WHICH COMPRISES IMPREGNATING AN INSULATION BOARD WITH THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIAL, APPLYING A COATING OF THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIAL ON ONE FACE OF SAID IMPREGNATED BOARD, PRESSING A LAYER OF COMMUNICATED STONE PARTICLES INTO SAID COATING, THEN APPLYING A SUPPLY OF COMMINUTED STONE OF A CONTRASTING COLOR ON THE COATED FACE OF SAID BOARD AT POINTS CORRESPONDING TO THE MORTAR LINE DESIGN OF A BRICK WALL AND RESTRICTED TO A WIDTH JUST SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE LINES OF SUCH DESIGN, PRESSING SAID CONTRASTING COLOR STONE INTO HOLDING ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID THERMO-PLASTIC MATERIAL AT THE POINTS CORRESPONDING TO SAID DESIGN, AND THEN REMOVING THE SURPLUS LOOSE STONE FROM THE FACE OF THE BOARD. 